Lili and Veggie- Saga 1: Childhood
by Starryeyed Q
Summary: *FINISHED with scenes from the next saga!!!* Ever wonder about Vegeta's past? Well this is my take on it! This saga is of Vegeta and another's not-so-innocent (^_^) years on Vegeta-sei. Later sagas will be a bit darker and more dramatic. R&R!
1. Intro and Chapter One- The Assignment

Disclaimer: Don't own it.  
Suing: Don't try it.  
Money: Don't have it.  
  
**_A familiar girl wearing jeans, a black shirt with a bright pink rose, and a leather jacket with her long blonde hair styled in a spiky fashion sits at her computer. Her tail flicks as she turns, smiling at your presence. Not saying a word (boy, THAT'S a change!^_^), she gestures towards the screen and winks one blue eye. The screen reads:_**  
Author's note: It's me again! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Amanda Roark, alias Saiyaness Queen, nicknamed Q, and author of Dragonball UA (Untold Alternate), a helluva long (but good!!!! [Or so I'm told]) story. Actually, it's more like a series, or maybe, in the future, a TV show!!!! MWA HAHAHAHAHA!!!! (Hey, I can dream, can't I? Geez, I'm using a lot of parentheses…)  
Anyway, as you faithful readers know, my story features a Saiyaness named Siesta (others too! It's good! All the people who haven't read it yet, READ IT!!!) Her background has about as much mystery as Vegeta's. We basically just know a vague background. A few family ties, old friends, old enemies and her old name: Collifla. So guess who this story's about???  
Anyways, I really enjoyed writing this; it gave me a chance to mess with Vegeta's past too. And for all you hard core Vegeta fans- Don't worry, he doesn't have any romantic feelings toward her (for those of you who haven't read my other fic); he's got more of a sibling relationship. And if he's a little out of character, so what? I'm experimenting with his soft sideJ (hehehe)  
Also: Yes, I know the so-called "Saiyago" is just Japanese. Well, too bad. In my story, so it's Saiyago, DAMMIT!  
So sit back, relax, and don't sue. Oh yeah, enjoy it too.  
  


Lili and Veggie  
Saga 1: The Childhood Years  


  
**_The Saiyaness Queen gives you an all too familiar smile, as she fingers her necklace of black pearls with a black diamond pendant. She snaps her fingers, and the story begins……….  
_**  
Chapter 1- the assignment  
  
"Dammit you useless girl! Fight!"  
"No way! You're too big!"  
"I am not!"  
"You're thirteen!"  
"So what? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"  
"Like hell!"  
"Where did you learn that word?!"  
"From you, stupid."  
The four-year-old girl connected with her brother's fist, then the ground hard. Although tears streamed down her face, she managed to choke back the sobs that would have merited another walloping.  
"Stupid useless bitch. Nothing but a weakling. They should've killed you the minute after they tested you. The machine must've been broken that day," the large boy muttered as he walked away to find someone else to take his adrenaline out on.  
The small girl wiped the blood off her lips. She hated being small. Her mother was small when she was little, but she was tall and well built now. The little girl could only hope… She pulled the large bead out of her wiry black hair, and let it fall around her face. She brushed her long bangs out of her eyes and went over to the public well. She looked at her face in the reflection.  
She was only four and already showed much promise for beauty. Teenage boys would stop to look at her during breaks in their sparring and size her up. She memorized their faces, so when she was older, she could beat the hell out of them.  
She grabbed a bucket and dumped the water on her head. Her spiked hair was sopping and dirt ran down her face onto her black sleeveless unitard, but she sure felt a lot better. She was going to get her assigned job in a week. When she first found out about it, her brother pestered her to fight him.  
"They'll eat you alive if you can't fight, stupid."  
"No they won't!"  
"Yes they will! Just watch! Don't come crying to me when you're a bloody pulp!" That's the way it went everyday. He'd offer to fight her, she'd refuse, and get knocked on her ass. Her brother would throw some insults, then walk away. The small girl knew that getting thrown on her ass wasn't as bad as what her brother could do to her, so she put up with it.  
  
The next week, a large Saiyan handed her a sealed envelope. She opened it and stared at the letters she did not yet know how to read.  
"You've been assigned to your father's base," said a voice behind her. She turned to see her mother, Patona. She was slender, yet tall with a fine feminine figure, yet enough muscle to give off an intimidating aura. She was everything the little Saiyaness wanted to look like when she grew up. Her mother was on the brink of becoming an Elite, but not a fighter. She was a very powerful fighter, but it was nothing compared to her intelligence. She was one of the heads of a military intelligence unit, and a very important figure at that. Without her, the empire might very well crumble. One more problem solved at her hands, and she was on the road to be an Elite.  
Although Saiyan mothers usually detached themselves to their offspring and sent them to a planet as soon as they could fend for themselves, Patona stuck around for her children. She forced her daughter to study alien cultures and languages, and pounded information into her young skull.  
"If you're going to destroy them, you might as well learn about them," was the argument she always used. Her daughter resentfully absorbed it. The only time the child never complained was when she was studying the Chikyuu-jinn culture. Her mother only gave it to her in small doses. She didn't want the young warrior to grow soft towards a race. Now, here she was, just a few days away from 5 years old. Receiving her first assignment at the base of a man Patona despised. He had been her lifemate once, but when she found him with a slave girl during her third month pregnant with his second offspring, she snapped. She did not kill him, however. No, what she had in mind was worse. Because of her influence in the upper-class world, and because this was his second offense (he cheated on her while she was pregnant with his first as well), she managed to get him demoted to a third class Saiyan. It was the greatest accomplishment and triumph of her life.  
"I've never met my father," whispered the minute Saiyaness.  
"And you probably never will, small one. You will merely be along the lines of a messenger until you prove yourself. I suggest you spar with your brother. It will help you build up fortitude." The little girl looked at her curiously. Patona sighed. She often had to tone down her high vocabulary around most Saiyans, and it annoyed her to no end. However, the child was four, so she settled her temper.  
"Strength," she defined. The young Saiyaness blinked with understanding.  
"I don't want to. He's an ass." Patona ignored the vulgarity her daughter was using. She knew her son taught it to her and her daughter was just looking for an excuse for her to not be around him. Patona grew stern.  
"Unless you want all the males sniffing around your skirts, you have to build up something. Train with your brother." Her mother gave a look that told the little Saiyaness that her mother's patience was wearing paper-thin. She bowed to her mother and saw her parent nod approvingly. The older Saiyaness turned on her heel and walked towards the palace, cape flowing behind her. She stopped for a moment.  
"I do wish you luck, my daughter." The little Saiyaness flicked her tail in response as her mother.  
"Since you have obviously made Tomet upset, I have a feeling he will not want to train you today. So I will give you your first lesson. Come, Collifla." Patona turned again and began to walk up the path. The tiny girl ran to catch up.  
  
**_"If you haven't read my other fic, I show up at the end of every chapter to check up on stuff. So just to tell ya." Saiyaness Queen-"Call me Q!"-Uh… Q, disappears.  
_**


	2. Chapter Two- Clash with Royalty

Chapter 2- Clash with royalty  
  
Collifla trained resentfully under her brother for a year. His violent technique taught her quickly and soon she was able to go through a sparring session without needing a trip to the med labs. When she was two months away from 6, she finally knocked her brother on his ass as he had done to her since the day she could stand. First he was angry, then looked at her with furious pride knowing that he had done his job. It quickly faded however, and Collifla woke in the med labs a day later.  
  
While her body was being pushed to its limit, so was her mind. Her mother shoved every bit of knowledge she could into Collifla's brain.  
Patona never bothered with Tomet. The Saiyen boy was more headstrong than any Saiyen on the planet Vegeta. He could have been the most brilliant general with his cleverness, thirst for power, and fighting strength, but instead he focused on nothing. He did not like to kill. Patona didn't understand why not. This was not because she was any more heartless or cold than the any other Saiyen on the planet. If anything, she was less. She actually liked her offspring, and Tomet knew that. He just stuck to his own and refused to take orders from anyone.  
So Patona focused all her efforts on her daughter. She was just the same, but less rebellious when it came to her mother (because of the fact that she idolized her).  
Collifla learned to read in the Common Tongue that year. She also discovered something else: In her studies of human culture, she found a pastime they called "singing". Curious, she listened to recordings in the palace library. The notes entranced the young Saiyeness. It flowed through her and gave her a sense of utter peace. She listened and imitated as much as she could, but to no avail. Then, she discovered she had her own sound. She let the notes tumble out of her mouth and wash over her. When she sang, every bit of hate she had for anyone or anything disappeared from her system, giving her a look of innocence and the aura of an angel. She thought of showing this to her mother, but Patona was already uncomfortable enough with Collifla's fascination with the human culture. So the little Saiyeness decided to keep it to herself.  
  
Her job was boring. It was basically just walking back and forth across the desert. Sometimes she would fly (her mother taught her, and she perfected it about a month ago), but the desert sand would be stirred up by her ki and sting every exposed part of her. She had begun to wear armor over her black unitard (only elites wore blue). At first it was awkward, but after awhile she grew used to it. Although it did not move as well as only fabric, it bent well to make for easy fighting.  
  
About 4 months after her 6th birthday, Collifla walked through the dusty desert to report to her father's godforsaken base. Lost in thought and busy shaking sand out of her tail, she didn't notice the boy walking towards her, and she didn't notice he had no intention of changing his direction. She bumped into him.  
"Watch where you're going, commoner!" The boy cried.  
"Well! Look who's so high and mighty and light on their feet!" Collifla taunted with a smirk.  
"You'll pay for that! I am Prince Vegeta!"  
"And I'm Lord Frieza himself," she said, rolling her eyes.  
"Don't believe me, huh? Well I'll show you!" At the exact same time they powered up and charged. Vegeta hit Collifla in the face, while she landed her knee in his gut. After that, every punch thrown was blocked or dodged. They were totally even in power. When the fight was over, they were both crumpled in a heap on the ground. They turned their heads and looked at each other, breathing hard. The young boy was about her age. His hair was in a wild spiky upsweep and his build was just as small as she was. His face was narrow and he had promise to be quite good looking. He bore arrogance in his eyes, no question, but there was something she liked about him.   
"Are you really Prince Vegeta?" The young Saiyeness gasped.  
"Yup. Are you really Lord Frieza himself?" He asked with a slight smile.  
"My name's Collifla," she said with a laugh.  
"Well you're pretty good for a girl," he smirked.  
"Pretty good??? I so won."  
"You wish!" They tried to get up, but they still couldn't move.  
"Prince Vegeta!" Yelled a voice.  
"Oh god," Vegeta rolled his eyes.  
"Prince Vegeta what happened? You little brat!" he snarled, rounding on Collifla, "How dare you commit such a crime! Do you know who this is?"  
"Yes sir, Prince Vegeta."  
"And who are you?"  
"Lord Frieza himself," Vegeta mumbled. Collifla and Vegeta both began to laugh uncontrollably. "Help us up, Nappa, you stupid oaf! Take us to my father." The large warrior looked stunned. "Well? What are you waiting for???? The arrival of the legendary Super Saiyen??? Hurry it up! We haven't got all day!" Yelled Vegeta. He turned to Collifla, "You shall be granted the privilege of being my friend… if such a thing exists of course," he said with a smirk.  
"Of course," she replied with a smile to match his own.  
"Excuse me!" he said, addressing the Nappa, "We're waiting here! We can't exactly… oof… move!" Obviously very confused at what just happened, the large Saiyen picked up both of them and flung them over his shoulders.  
  
"A girl? Be the Prince's sparring partner? Laughable," smirked the King. The prince crossed his arms and scowled.  
"Her powerlevel matches mine perfectly, as does her technique. I could not get a better training partner, nor could she," he said hotly.  
"Who is your father?" The King growled.  
"My father is Cabon," whispered Collifla, hanging her head. She was ashamed of her father. It was her mother who she was immensely proud of.  
"Cabon, huh? Why, he's a mere third class Saiyen. I believe my father demoted him as his last act as king. Where did you find this girl, Vegeta? Out on the street? She's a third class nothing!"  
"My mother is Patona!" Piped Collifla. She cringed, expected to receive a hit for speaking out of turn, but the King was too stunned for words.  
"Patona? Well… That changes everything. That makes you first class. Very well, my brat. You may have this girl," said the king sitting back in his chair.  
"Come on," motioned Vegeta. Collifla followed the equally small boy down the corridor of the palace until they reached a room with guards standing on either side. Vegeta flashed his royal pendant, and the doors hissed open. Collifla followed the prince into the most beautiful room she'd ever seen. The bed was huge, there were weights scattered around the room and Saiyen toys filling the spots in between.  
"Damn. The stupid maid hasn't been in to clean yet."  
"Y-you have a maid???" Sputtered Collifla. The pride showed through the prince as if he were translucent as he nodded.  
"You realize that you will have chambers next to mine of course," said the prince casually. Collifla thought of her old quarters. They were nice and comfortable since she was first class, but she shared it with Tomet, her brother. It was never pleasant when she awoke with a wekima crawling around in her mass of hair and her brother on the floor laughing.  
"I'll have to ask my mother," she began…  
"No need. I've just been summoned," said her mother, standing in the doorway. She ran a hand over her uncharacteristically silky hair. It used to be in an upsweep that fell to one side, but she had cut it short. It was growing back now (however, a Saiyen's hair never goes past its original length) and since it wasn't long enough to tie up yet, it annoyed the hell out of her. However, now her face shown with unsuccessfully hidden pride as she looked at her daughter.  
"I'm proud of you," she said simply. The little Saiyeness bowed slightly. Her mother flicked her tail with approval and turned towards the young prince.  
"We are honored my prince," she paused, obviously debating within herself. She sighed and finally gave in, saying, "Take care of her, majesty." With that, she turned and walked away.  
"Will I ever see her again?" Whispered Collifla.  
"Of course," he said carelessly, "She's a first class warrior. They always hang around here. You'll bump into her and stuff. Your new rooms are over there." The door hissed open and Collifla gasped. The room was just as grand as Prince Vegeta's, save for the fact that it was clean.  
"Th-this is mine???" She gasped. The prince smirked.  
"Not bad, huh? What, you think you could match my level perfectly and not get something in return for it?" He said smugly.  
  
**_"Veggie's such a little mini-prick. I love him to death! Hehehe!"_**  
  



	3. Chapter Three- Mishaps...

Chapter 3- Mishaps  
  
"Rise and shine, miss. It's time to train," a slave girl shook her briskly. Collifla yawned and gazed around her room. It was still the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She looked down at her nightdress. It was still silk. Her new uniform was still in the corner. Her weights and Saiyen toys were now neatly put away, but still there. It hadn't been a dream. A punch on her shoulder confirmed it.  
"Get up! How long do you females have to sleep?" Vegeta demanded. Collifla glowered at the prince and got up, walking towards her armor. She turned around, expecting to see the prince gone, but there he was with his arms crossed, waiting expectantly. He raised an eyebrow.  
"Well?" He demanded.  
"Aren't you going to leave?" She asked slowly.  
"Why?" Collifla couldn't believe this. Did he really think what she thought he did? After all, the prince was only six had never been around girls before, except for the foreign slaves. And the armor made Saiyen female chests just look like pectoral muscles. As far as he knew, there was no difference between them save for more feminine faces…  
"Just get dressed," ordered Vegeta.  
"Do you really think that girls look the same with their clothes off as you?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Collifla turned red. Vegeta scowled.  
"Get ready now!" He commanded. Collifla had no choice. Her fussing had just made him all the more determined. She pulled off her dressing gown. Before she could cover anything with her tail, Vegeta's scowling face was wiped clean and replaced with shock. He turned redder than the carpet in the throne room and turned around.  
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!?!?" He yelled.  
"I TRIED YOU IGNORANT BAKA!!!" She yelled back, using the Saiyen swearword taught to her by Tomet.  
"If you had clothes on I'd kill you!" Cried Vegeta. Collifla stood there, looking at his back, still unclothed.  
"Ah! So the prince does have a weakness! He's afraid of girls!" She taunted.  
"I am not!" He cried. He turned halfway…  
"WAIT!!!" Collifla cried, covering herself, "I DIDN'T MEAN FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY LOOK!" The prince turned back around, obviously thankful for an out.  
"Hm. I see you've got a weakness too! Modesty!" He sneered with his back turned. Collifla charged her ki.  
"You better not even THINK about it till you're covered up!" He said, obviously terrified. _Oops_. She had forgotten about that. She reached for her armor and jumpsuit. She slipped it on as quietly as she could, then jumped, not charging until the last minute. She threw him to the floor. They fought on the ground for awhile, then flew into the air. Suddenly, Vegeta grabbed Collifla's hair bead and tore off down the corridor.  
"Can't fight if you can't see through that mass of hair!" He cried.  
"Give that back!" She yelled and tore off after him. He flew into a room at the end of the corridor. Collifla grabbed the bead out of his hand and clamped it around her hair. As soon as it was in place, she was hit in the side. They fought for awhile, until Vegeta charged a small ki blast and… SMASH!!!  
"Oh shit," said Vegeta. They looked down at the smashed fighting trophy. The cracked nameplate read: King Vegeta.  
"I don't think we should train in the palace any more…" Collifla said.  
"I say you tell him," said Vegeta.  
"Me?"  
"Yes! He likes you!"  
"No he doesn't! You're his son!"  
"Exactly why I SHOULDN'T tell him!"  
"Tell me what?" Came a dangerous voice behind them. The two tiny Saiyens jumped. They turned towards the silhouetted figure of King Vegeta in the doorway. It was right then that Collifla wished once again that she wasn't so small. Even the normally short King seemed a giant to her. She saw the Vegeta wince with fear as his father's eyes fell on the shattered trophy and widened with rage.  
"How…" he said in a jerky voice, "did… this… happen??!?!" The two Saiyalings stood in silence. Collifla chanced a glance at Vegeta. His face was as white as a ghost. He couldn't say a word and Collifla could only imagine what the king would assume and what he would do about it….  
"It was my fault, your majesty," she said, curtsying as best as her six year old grace would allow her to, then giving up and settling on a simple bow, "I am not used to living in the palace, and…." She trailed off, unable to think of an excuse that wouldn't involve the prince. She hung her head.  
Collifla snapped it up almost immediately when the king began to laugh.  
"Not very good at telling lies, eh? Well, I'm sure my son will teach you that at least. You have amused me, little one, which tends to be a very difficult thing nowadays. Therefore there will be no punishment." His eyes hardened, "But do not expect such mercy from me next time." Collifla nodded quickly and hard. King Vegeta then turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, yelling at a slave halfway down the hall to clean up the mess in the trophy room. Vegeta looked at Collifla in amazement.  
"I think I'll keep you around for awhile," he said in awe. Collifla grinned briefly, then they were shooed (ever-so-politely) out of the room by the slave.  
  
The next day, the two made their way to the training rooms. Just as they were halfway down the hall from their rooms…  
  
"Hey short-stuff," said an all-to-familiar voice behind Collifla. She turned quickly and found herself looking straight into the amber inlay of her brother's armor.  
"I hate it when you do that," she muttered, not taking her eyes away from the armor. She could just feel his smirk two feet (give about six inches) above her, "What are you doing here?" She asked in a forced tone.  
"I was summoned. The king himself would like me to keep an eye on you two," Tomet said smugly. Collifla took two steps back so she didn't have to crane her neck looking into his face.  
"I thought the king said there wasn't going to be a punishment," said Collifla, carefully hiding the rage and fear in her voice. Tomet smirked.  
"Punishment? Why, my dear sister, you cut me to the quick," he said with an obviously false sincerity. The prince stepped out from his place behind Collifla.  
"I do not think it wise to speak to a Saiyen of such high status like that," he said dangerously. Tomet's face faulted slightly, but recovered as he dropped into an overly magnificent bow.  
"Majesty. I apologize for my…. Insolence," he said, shooting a mocking look towards them both that made Collifla's blood boil, "You see, I was indeed summoned. The King took me from my old assignment to become your personal trainer." He gave his familiar flash of fang to Collifla. The little Saiyeness spun around and buried her fingers in her hair out of excessive frustration.  
"RRRRRRRG!!!" She growled and stormed off to her new quarters, tail slashing at the air so hard it could have drawn blood. Tomet laughed smugly and was about to walk after her when… BAM!!! Tomet doubled over with pain and dropped to his knees. He looked up into the little prince's arrogant-as-hell smiling face. The smile dropped as the prince whispered, "I will say it one more time. I do not think it wise to speak to a Saiyen of such high status like that. You obviously have no idea what level her status reaches… nor her potential." He became a replica of his father, turning on his heel and walking down the hallway.  
"Baka," muttered Tomet.  
  
Collifla was in her room screaming Saiyen profanity and was throwing viciously uncontrolled kicks and punches at the air.  
"Wow. Even I haven't heard some of those yet, and that's saying something." Collifla looked over to see the young prince leaning against the doorframe. The girl threw one last punch and flew down resentfully and imitated his stance on the opposite frame. They stood in comfortable silence while the prince allowed her to calm down, knowing that there was nothing worse than an angry female Saiyen. When he was sure he could speak without keeping his guard at its maximum, he took a deep breath.  
"There's nothing I can say to my father to change his mind. We've gotten away with far too much as it is. Our best bet is to play along with this and maybe we can kill him when his back is turned." Collifla snorted.  
"I don't think that would work out, as much as I'd like it to. My mother would kill us both. Unlike most Saiyen mothers, she actually likes her children." Now it was Vegeta's turn to snort. They stood in silence once more until Vegeta suddenly straightened.  
"Your mother requested your presence. She said that 'your being my sparring partner will never be allowed to interfere with your studies'," He chuckled almost scornfully, but not quite, "You're due in her chambers in about 5 minutes," he said. Collifla nodded and walked towards the door. Halfway there, Collifla began singing softly to herself. She felt a hand grasp her shoulder.  
"What are you doing?" Asked Vegeta, awestruck.  
"Oh, it's singing. Humans do it. I read about them, and heard recordings of it. Surprisingly enough, I'm quite good compared to most humans." She secretly reveled in the knowledge that she had beaten this fascinating species at their own game, but she never expected it to have this much effect on other Saiyens. Especially the prince.  
"It's beautiful," he whispered.  
"Thank you," said the little Saiyeness, smiling at such praise from the almighty badass prince. He recovered and motioned for her to go. Just as she reached the door, he spoke again.  
"Teach me how." Were the only words he said. Collifla turned and looked at him. She thought for a moment, trying to figure out whether he really meant it or not. After studying his face, she nodded and walked out the door.  
  
**_"Singing and stars. Two of my favorite 'motifs'. *Sigh*… sorry. Finals week brain-clog. Heh."_**  



	4. Chapter Four- The Festival

Chapter 4- The Festival  
  
"I'M NOT WEARING THE GODDAMNED DRESS!!!!!"  
"Miss, please! It's a Royal Festival. All women will be wearing nice kimonos like this! Oh please, miss!" Collifla's face contorted with rage. The slave girl cringed against the wall as Collifla's hair flew above her head. Ki flew out around her as she screamed. The slave began to cry.  
"RRRRG!!! Shut up!!! I hate the sound of that wretched sobbing!!!" She slapped the slave into the wall. The alien girl went limp. Collifla looked at her, dress still in hand. She softened and walked over to the intercom. Pressing the button with her tail, and speaking into the receiver.  
"Vegeta, would you ring for the med techs? I lost my temper again."  
"Let her die, it's just a slave," Vegeta's voice said in an almost bored tone.  
"Vegeta, you know I don't…."  
"Alright, alright. But get your kimono on. They won't let you in if you aren't dressed up and there is NO WAY you're getting out of this and leaving me there myself!"  
"Fine! Over and out."  
A year had passed. Collifla and Vegeta had definitely gained a lot of power. They endured Tomet and his friends, were tutored by Collifla's mother, and built a strong bond of friendship that no two Saiyens ever had before.  
  
Collifla slipped on her kimono and sighed. If she ran into her brother she would have no chance. She couldn't even run in these stupid sandals. She would just have to fly and let Vegeta stall him…. She smiled at her reflection as she ran a steel brush through her mass of hair. It gradually became quite silky after awhile and Collifla hated to admit that she loved running her fingers through it while it was in that state. She and Vegeta were quite mature for their age. They had an astounding vocabulary and comprehension levels for a variety of situations. It fueled their sense of superiority, but it was knocked flat when they were beat up time after time by their "personal trainer", Tomet. Collifla tied the sash tight around her waist and put the headband the slave girl had given her in her hair.  
She walked over to the slave, picked her up, and put her on the bed.  
"Damn my soft side," she thought as she propped the girl up on the pillow.  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
"COLLIFLA!!! Aren't you ready yet???" He growled.  
"I'm ready! Don't get all pissy!" The door hissed open and Vegeta walked through the door. Collifla had gotten taller and had gained an inch on the prince. Although this obviously irritated the prince, it never seemed to get in the way of their training. At the moment he seemed much taller, but that was only due to his blinding arrogance and superiority. He had gotten to wear armor, though far more elegant than his training wardrobe. It was sleeveless, without the shoulder plates. It also lacked the leg plates as well. His cape billowed slightly behind him and he looked as though he fit his role as a prince very well indeed.   
"Nice," said Collifla, smirking.  
"And you," The prince smirked back. He offered his arm in such a sarcastic way, it would make the world's most cynical person spin in their grave. Collifla took it, and flipped the prince onto the carpet.  
"Ow…" The prince half laughed, half moaned from his back. Collifla smirked and walked through the door, stepping on the prince as she went.  
"You scuffed my armor!" Collifla stopped and looked at him, eyebrow raised.  
"Pardon me, highness." She dragged him to his feet. As soon as he was stable, he flipped her onto the carpet instead.  
"Baka! I'm in a dress!" She spun around on the floor and brought her leg under him. He dropped on his back with a thud.  
"Kuso. Even in a dress, you'll never have proper lady etiquette."  
"Since when do Saiyens of ANY gender have etiquette?"  
"Good point." Vegeta hoisted himself to his feet again and offered his hand. Collifla scowled at it.  
"No tricks! I promise!" He smirked. Collifla rolled her eyes and took it. What choice did she have? She could hardly walk in her shoes, much less stand up! They walked out the door toward the back palace garden.  
  
When they stepped outside the small girl's eyes widened.  
"Wow." Vegeta grinned.  
"Yeah. They do a nice job with this. Wait till things _really _get going!"  
  
The garden was radiant with lights from the bushes and flowers. Booths of music, food, even shooting games, were set up among the plants by the slaves. Even they seemed happy.  
The Saiyen children ran to the first booth. They shot targets thrown into the air. If they hit the one that squawked, they won. They received a small badge about the size of an earth penny, plus the satisfaction of the kill.  
The food was served by the tons. It took ten slaves to even keep one Saiyen satisfied. Needless to say that the majority of the slaves were at the food stands.  
Saiyen music played from a single stand that was emitted from strange instruments. Vegeta and Collifla sang softly under their breath. Vegeta found he had a knack for singing almost as well as Collifla did. However, since it occurred to Vegeta that the "Prince of all Saiyens" would look a little weird enjoying an earthen pastime called "singing", they decided to keep it their little secret. It was actually a very pleasant scene; Collifla would be teaching Vegeta to harmonize, and once they got it right, the sound blended wonderfully. Then, after the music that hung in the air faded, they would head off to the sparring rooms to endure "Tomet's torture time".  
"My dear sister, your look lovely this fine evening." _Speak of the devil._ The little Saiyeness rolled her eyes, and turned into her brother's amber inlay. She might have grown an inch, but so did Tomet. She looked up and scowled.  
Collifla hated to admit it in her mind since, well, it was her brother, but Tomet was actually a very handsome boy. He got all the Saiyeness girls he wanted and beat the shit out of all the boys his age. He was fourteen and had a very nice build. His hair was wiry yet silky, just like his sister's. He had triangular spikes in a short upsweep to the side. He had a large chunk that fell slightly to the right from the center of his forehead, and three bangs brushing either side of his face. He brushed the chunk out of his eyes and grinned wolfishly down at his sister.  
"I hate it when you do that," she growled up at him. His grin widened.  
"Merely a compliment, little sister, merely a compliment."  
"Must we beat you?" Sneered Vegeta.  
"Two against one? Well, that doesn't sound fair." Tomet's best friend Oiono stepped from the crowd. His hair stuck out on either side with a few spikes sticking up from the back with two bangs on the right side of his square face. The dark brown strands caught the light and made Collifla catch her breath. She blushed slightly when he smirked at her.  
"Collifla. You're growing up fast, but obviously not fast enough, squirt." He knocked the front of her head and snapped her out of her little girlish world. She mentally kicked herself for slipping like that and vowed to get over him if it was the last thing she ever did. _Kuso. He's not even nice to me! Well, nicer then Tomet, but that's not saying much._  
"So, what do you kids plan on doing on this evening of festivity," Tomet said in his over-elegant fashion as always. _Well, that's Tomet for you._ She thought resentfully.  
"Nothing."  
"Oh c'mon! You're at least going to dance."  
"We don't dance," said Collifla shortly. Vegeta stood in silent agreement.  
"Aw c'mon! Highness, royalty must know how to dance." Vegeta scowled and powered up. Oiono and Tomet simply grinned. Collifla put her hand on his shoulder.  
"We don't dance," she said dangerously. Tomet laughed and was about to power up as well, but Collifla locked her gaze with her brother.  
"Tomet, not tonight. Please," she said softly. Tomet looked into his sister's black eyes and his Saiyen emotions glitched when he realized his true emotions for his sister. _Damn it._ He thought.  
"Come on, Ono," he said. He grabbed a girl with short spiked black hair around the waist. She glared, but faded quickly to a smile when she saw who it was. Oiono looked curiously at Tomet for a moment, then followed his lead. They disappeared into the crowd. Vegeta turned to look at Collifla.  
"Aw, what the hell. We can give dancing a try. My father said that if he didn't see me socializing at least once, he'd beat me to a pulp." He sighed, "Fuck it. One day I'll be the king and I won't have to do anything like this." Collifla snorted as they walked side by side into the crowd. Collifla laughed when he began his attempts at the Saiyen dances, and she began to try it too. She certainly possessed more grace than his majesty, but she still was no dancer.  
"Dancing sucks. Give me a place to fight and I'll show them a move or two," muttered Vegeta.  
"Really now? The little prince don't look like much to me. Literally." Vegeta turned around his eye narrowed. The Saiyeness girl felt a growl emit from the depths of Vegeta's throat.  
"Kelis," he muttered. Kelis was the son of the royal guard. He was very respectful to the king, winning him over, and always won the war even if Vegeta won the battle. His brown hair went straight back and down, falling at the nape of his neck, with thick bangs on one side of his face. He had obviously come back from the planet he was assigned to clear off. He had been gone for nearly a full year, and it gave neither Saiyalings any pleasure at all to see him back in one peice.  
"Vegeta," he responded with a smirk, "It's been a long time. I see you haven't changed much since then, especially in the height department."  
"Get out of here, baka," Collifla snarled, hoping to end it before Vegeta lost his temper again. It backfired. Kelis raised his eyebrows.  
"You, Collifla, I see have changed very much so." Vegeta growled again, but this time, it was audible. Kelis's eyes snapped back to Vegeta's. Collifla watched as Vegeta measured his options. The last thing the Saiyalings needed now was trouble, and more so… this was Kelis. No matter what the outcome, the result would be disastrous. The Saiyen prince stood as tall as he could, staring him down. Kelis met his gaze and smiled.  
"Come, come, Vegeta. You have to admit; Collifla's quite the looker. You're going to have to get used to it." He reached and took a bit of hair from the side of her face in his fingers. She cringed away from his grip and glared into his smirking face. She shuddered when she met his eyes. She didn't like the way he looked at her. Not at all… Vegeta's growl grew into a snarl. Kelis sneered.  
"Aw, come on Vegeta. You knew it was bound to happen some day. She's-"  
"-Out of your league," said a voice from behind them. A hand grasped Vegeta's shoulder, preventing him from launching himself across the garden at Kelis that very instant. Vegeta looked up to see Tomet, but it wasn't the Tomet he knew. It was not the one who was the mastermind behind every practical joke ever played upon them, nor the one who would torment his sister without losing a slight twinkle in his black eyes, nor was it their trainer, torturer, or headstrong mentor. Every curve of his face was etched with pure fury and his eyes burned with white-hot flames.  
"Get the hell out of here," he said, so quietly he could just be heard over the music. He loosened his hand on Vegeta when he felt him relax, and placed the other hand on his sister's shoulder. She felt a breeze tickle the back of her neck as his tail lashed the air behind them.  
"Tomet. I see you haven't changed at all. It's people like you who disgrace-"  
"People like me? You're the disgrace to our race! You disgrace our culture! Our government! Our world! It is people like you who disgrace our race. You power-hungry simpletons gifted with authority only to abuse it! Now get the hell out of here, you scrawny little monkey," Tomet snarled. Kelis looked to be in a state of shock.  
"You'll get yours one day, Tomet," he said softly and quickly. Tomet gave his familiar flash of fang, but his eyes still blazed.  
"I beg to differ, Kelis. I really do." Kelis stared, unable to respond. He looked as though he was about to power up, but stopped when Oiono and the girl Tomet had grabbed stepped from the crowd. They stood next to Tomet, arms crossed with menace in their eyes. Collifla flipped her fan.  
"Don't you know, Kelis? It's slimy little boys like you who always get theirs. Always," she sneered.   
"Truer words were never spoken. I _guarentee _it," snarled Tomet. Kelis gave a final glare with a flick of his tail to mask his apparent fear, and disappeared into the crowd. Collifla turned to look at Tomet once more. She met his eyes with a searching gaze, but he carefully kept his face unreadable.  
"Thank you," she whispered. Tomet smirked.  
"Hn. I hate him so much. But don't worry. I meant it when I said he and the rest of his type would get theirs one day." Collifla nodded.  
"Don't worry. One of these days…" Vegeta smirked. Tomet smiled slightly.  
"I appreciate it, Highness. However, I'm afraid I don't have that much patience." He clapped both of them on the head and his smile widened to a grin.  
"Now, go have some fun and stay out of trouble." He grabbed the girl around the waist again, "I know I will." He buried his face in her neck and growled. The Saiyeness actually giggled and winked at the small Saiyalings. Tomet winked as well as he whisked her off the dance floor. Oiono crossed his arms and sighed. He flashed a smile at them and sauntered toward a group of Saiyen girls. Collifla put her face in her hand.  
"Boys."  
"Hey!"  
"You don't count."  
"What???"  
"C'mon. For some reason, I'm sick of dancing." Vegeta smiled agreeably and gestured toward a gap in the multitude.  
Collifla stomped through the opening as Vegeta walked smoothly behind her.   
**_  
"That last little crossfire was inspired by a conversation regularly held between me and my friend," Q giggles. She snaps her fingers and appears in the midst of the festival. She snaps them again to don a kimono and color her hair black, "Don't wanna stand out," she says off to the side, "I don't care what Collifla and Vegeta's opinions are! I'm dancing!"  
_**


	5. Chapter Five- Stars

Chapter 5- Stars  
  
They walked towards a hill and plopped down. The noise of the festival was a dull murmur and the lights around the bushes were dimmed by the bright glow of the stars in the velvety black sky. Vegeta-sei's moon was not out. It only shown every eight years. It was a good thing too, any other way would have just been dangerous…  
"One day, I think I'll write a song about the stars," said Collifla, flopping on her back in the soft grass. Vegeta snorted as he stood over her.  
"Why?"  
"Just look at them. They've got a life of their own…"  
"Is this another flower thing?"  
"Hey! Don't you make fun of my pressed flowers! Even a warrior's gotta have a hobby! So why not flower collecting?"  
"Aw, here we go again…"  
"I'm not kidding! When they send me off to clear planets, I'll collect the flowers just before I blow them up!" They laughed so hard that Vegeta actually collapsed beside her. When it subsided, they sighed and stared at the stars.  
"I won't let them send you off, you know."  
"I know."  
More silence as they mentally traced the constellations.  
"You know, the Saiyens own more than half of those," said Vegeta.  
"Actually, this whole 'owning' thing is a little weird, don't you think?"  
"What makes you say that?" Collifla turned on her side.  
"Well, can you actually 'own' anything?"  
"I'm not sure, but we seem to manage, and so does Freiza."  
"Ugh. Don't even get me _started _on him. He hates us you know, and one of these days, it's going to be too much."  
"Don't talk like that. I'm going to kill him when I get older and you're going to help me. When we kill him, we'll all be free to own whatever we want, not be told what planets to clear off and when. The Saiyens could rule the universe with enough time."  
"That'd be stupid. If we rule the universe, what's left?"  
"I dunno. I won't be alive by then, so why should I care? You've been listening to your brother too much, Collifla." Collifla turned and re-flopped onto her back.  
"Maybe… I just think some of these planets know more than we give them credit for… I mean, take Humans."  
"Humans?"  
"Yeah. They could very well crossbreed with us, and their culture is just… fascinating. I think that if I had to choose someone of another race to be with, I'd choose a human."  
"Well, you'll never have to. I think we'll be around for awhile."  
"You never know. One of these days, Frieza could get sick of us or maybe even a natural disaster could happen. One has to prepare or at least think about it."  
"You think to much," smirked Vegeta. Collifla brought up her tail and smacked him upside the head. Vegeta scowled at her.  
"Ow! I hate it when you do that!"  
"We seem to be saying that a lot lately," said Collifla. Vegeta laughed and pulled himself to his feet. Collifla sighed.  
"I probably ruined my kimono."  
"Yeah? Well then you won't need these!" Vegeta laughed evilly and grabbed her sandals. He took off down the hill toward the palace. Collifla leapt to her feet and tried running. The dress entangled around her legs and she nearly fell on her face. She heard Vegeta's laughter and smacked her forehead.  
"What am I doing?" She took off into the air, her dress flaring around her ankles. The prince turned his head and his eyes widened. He half laughed and half cried out. He took off into the air they flew towards the open window. They tumbled into the prince's chambers as Collifla slammed the prince into the bed. Vegeta scrambled to the other side and ducked behind the bed.  
"Fine! Take them. I'm sure they'll look wonderful on you. Give you an extra inch or two as well." She ducked as the sandals flew towards her.  
"Thank you!" She said briskly, picking up the sandals. She smiled and walked towards her chambers.  
"I'm off to bed. I'm tired."  
"Alright. Good night," said Vegeta, now up from his "trench".  
  
Collifla lay on her bed that night staring at the canopy. She remembered her brother's eyes… There was something there she had never seen before. She thought about the stars as words to a song formed in her mind. She thought about Frieza… Vegeta was so intent on killing him and proving his own strength. But nobody believed that Frieza was a danger to the entire planet.  
"Hn. Maybe Vegeta was right…" She then thought no more, as she drifted off to sleep and the land of dreams…  
  
Collifla stood in darkness. Stars swirled around her and music played in her ears. Frieza appeared in front of her. He held up a planet in his hand and a smile played on his lips. He crushed the planet to dust in his hands and threw the ashy remains toward her.   
Vegeta lay at her feet as the young man he would become. The dust fell on his face. The Saiyen prince coughed as the ashes filled his nostrils. Frieza looked down at him and laughed coldly. Collifla looked down at herself. A white gauzy gown was draped over her with a golden sash tied around her middle. It was to long, and she noticed a train dragging on the ground. She was older as well, and also covered in the dust of the crushed planet. It's ashy blackness, poisoning the purity of the garment she wore. Freiza strode up to her and stared straight in her face. He said not a word, but pointed his finger behind him. Vegeta was trying to get up. He reached toward them both and choked out her name.  
"Lili…" He gasped. Freiza looked straight into the Saiyeness's eyes and grinned manically. A ki blast emitted from his outstretched finger. It penetrated Vegeta's chest. He fell onto his back, groaning. When he hit the unseen floor, all sound stopped, and the Saiyen prince did not move. Collifla looked towards the sky and screamed. Ki surged from and swirled around her body, knocking Freiza back as a man landed before her. He had spiked black hair that stuck out on either side. Golden ki whirled around him. In a flash that made Collifla cover her eyes, his hair turned to gold as if touched by Midas, and his eyes became a turquoise green. He walked towards the crumpled form of Vegeta and put both his hands on the prince's back. The stranger's ki flared around them both, enveloping them in dazzling light. The unknown warrior stood up and grabbed Frieza's throat. In one swift motion, he threw him across the galaxy and shot a ki blast after him. Vegeta stood. His hair had become the same golden color as the other man, and the same ki emitted from his form. His jade eyes stared in the direction of the blast. It exploded in space as she heard screams swirling between the notes of the music, blowing away everyone and everything, even the remaining dust on her clothes, like a pile of dust on a windy day… save for the shining stars.  
Her tresses turned flew above her head and her ki turned a radiant gold. Her hair became a matching color as she felt power pump through her veins. Through her emerald eyes, she saw unidentifiable silver figure float from nowhere and wrapped his arms around her. It kissed her and disappeared, scattering into thousands of stars. The new stars joined the ones that continued to swirl around her. They shown vibrantly and flew towards her like a swarm of angry bees, disappearing into her eyes as she released a scream. Her ki disappeared and her hair dropped back to its normal form. She put her hands on her knees and closed her eyes, drawing in ragged breaths. Without warning, she took in sharp gasp. Her eyes snapped open, still glowing with intense white light.  
All at once, two beams of light, silver and gold, shot from her chest. The two beams interwove as one and exploded into a bright white symbol: An inwardly curved star inside a triangle with six small triangles pointing to every point and side. Voices whispered the meaning of the symbol into her ears… It was the Trinity of Power. One voice sang out in a clear through the darkness. The voice she would have as a young woman… She couldn't help noticing, it was beautiful.  
"The Trinity of Power  
Many have tried to find.  
But reality is really  
All in the mind…  
Ultimate power  
Level of six, given to three  
Innocent, beautiful, and free…"  
The light disappeared from her eyes and stars poured from her chest. They swirled around her body, playing with the tresses of her hair, ruffling her loose clothing, whispering poetry, songs, and words into her ear, flashing visions of what was to come before her eyes…  
  
Collifla awoke in a cold sweat. She put her hand in her mouth and bit down on her fingers to stifle a scream. She looked herself over and saw that she was seven once again. She glanced around her room as she sucked on the blood she had drawn from her finger and assured herself that this was indeed reality.   
She took a deep breath and brushed her sweat-matted bangs out of her eyes. She tried to hold onto the images and whisperings in her dream, but it was no use. She put her head in her hands and made a decision: She would tell no one. With that, she let go. Merely a handful of images remained in her mind. She then sunk back into her pillow and breathed in all the familiar scents with her acute Saiyen nose. It calmed her nerves immediately and sent her back to sleep. This time, however, She had no dreams.  
  
**_"Symbolism!!!!! My favorite form of author impact and confusion!!!!!!! Mwa hahahahaha!!!!!!!! Oh, look for singing and stars scattered throughout both my main fan fics. It's actually kinda cool for the not-so-shallow- minded…" Q smiles sweetly, "And I am, of course, assuming that none of you are shallow 'cause I LOVE my readers!!!" She grins and strikes an anime style pose. She regains her stature and sighs, "God, I'm an idiot…"_**  



	6. Chapter Six- The Legend of the Super Sai...

Chapter 6- The Legend of the Super Saiyen  
  
"Stop fidgeting!" Cried the king.  
"I'm trying! We've been sitting here for hours! Why'd you have to make more than one???" Vegeta replied hotly.  
"It's so we don't argue where to put it. Stop complaining, at least you don't have to wear a dress!" Collifla snapped. Another year had passed and their power increased steadily. Vegeta had gained height, which pleased him intensely, yet Collifla still remained ahead of him in that department.  
Collifla was still tutored by her mother, and began to learn ancient Saiyago (the Saiyen tongue). Vegeta's 8th birthday rapidly approached and the two friends were now facing one of royalty's burdens: Portraits. They had been sitting for hours. Not only did the Brooshaintian painter insist on doing one big portrait, the king had demanded two smaller ones as well. So here they were, doing all they could to fight their instincts to move, or perhaps blast the fussy yellow painter himself into oblivion.  
Collifla's hair was down, which didn't happen often.  
"At least I can pick you out in a crowd with your hair down." Vegeta would always say smirking. Collifla would then smack him upside the head with her tail.  
"Fineshed," said the painter quietly with a strange Brooshaintian accent. Vegeta jumped into the air and did a somersault.   
"FINALLY!!!" He cried. Collifla stood up and stretched. She walked over to stand by Vegeta looked at the three portraits.  
"You look… nice."  
"Keh. Yeah right. He made me look like a porcelain doll. I appreciate your effort, though." Vegeta snorted.  
  
The next morning, Collifla woke up before Vegeta for the first time in her entire existence. She bounded into his chambers and jumped onto the bed.  
"Wake up!!! I got you a present!" Vegeta opened an eye.  
"Now what is a mass of black hair and nightgown doing on my bed this early in the morning?" He said crankily.  
"You want this or not, majesty?"  
"Yeah, yeah. Gimme." Collifla handed him a neatly wrapped package.  
"Showoff," he muttered.  
"Keh! It's not my fault I can handle paper better than you, monkey boy. Just open it! Go on." Vegeta tore at the paper. Inside was a white book with gold lettering on the cover.  
"The Legend of the Super Saiyen," said Collifla.  
"Is that what it says? I can't read Saiyago."  
"Oh right. Damn. Well, I suppose I can read it to you until you learn…"  
"Ha! There's something to blackmail you with when we're older!"  
"Baka! You have no idea how to hold onto a good thing, do you?"  
"Alright! Okay, fine! We gotta get changed. We've got to make an appearance in the stupid throne room."  
"Aw Kuso! Do I have to wear my godforsaken kimono again?"  
"Nah. I suppose you've suffered enough."  
"Since when does the prince of all Saiyens care about mercy?"  
"Since he got a good present and you shall never speak of it."  
"As long as you never speak of the whole… reading thing."  
"Yeah sure." Collifla hopped off the large bed and walked into her chambers.  
  
"Tousan," said Vegeta simply as he knelt in front of the throne. Collifla walked up and did the same. King Vegeta merely nodded and gestured them to their place beside the throne.  
"Patona, step forward."  
Collifla watched as her mother and sensei knelt before the throne.  
"Saiyeness, you have shown value far beyond your status. Your military intelligence shall not go without reward. Therefore, you are now an elite. Rise up and face both your new equals and former equals, now inferiors."  
Collifla's face shown with pride as her mother rose to accept the rumble of applause. Collifla clapped until her hands hurt, but still didn't stop until the applause died down.  
"Dismissed, all of you. Except you, Vegeta." Collifla looked at her prince with confusion. Vegeta smirked.  
"Go on, I'll meet you back at our chambers." Collifla nodded and walked down the hall. Vegeta remained in the empty throne room and stared at his father. King Vegeta gestured to the window.  
"Do you see those pods? All those tested who are not worthy of our class are being shipped off to conquer weaker planets." The prince smirked.  
"Hn. Good bye, pests."  
"Indeed. You, however, are different. Every thousand years a Super Saiyen emerges. You were born around the correct time, Vegeta. And I believe that it was no pure coincidence. You shall rise up and defeat all who oppose you. You will fulfill the prophecy, free our people of that frigid son-of-a-bitch, and be the most powerful fighter in the entire universe. Do you understand me, Prince Vegeta? Royal blood of the most powerful Saiyen lines courses through your veins. It is because of all these reasons, Vegeta, that you shall be a Super Saiyen."  
Vegeta stared at the King for a very long moment and allowed it all to sink in.  
"Hai, wagakimi," he said, using the small bit of Saiyago Collifla had been teaching him **_(translated it means, 'yes, my lord')_**. King Vegeta seemed mildly impressed and therefore satisfied with his son's response.  
"You may go," he said with a wave of his hand. The prince bowed and walked into the hall, doors hissing shut, and closing firmly behind him  
  
Later that night, Collifla walked into Vegeta's room apprehensively. She had her nightdress on, and her mass of hair fell around her face. She studied the prince. He looked much older than 8 and he seemed deep in thought.  
"Is there something wrong, Vegeta?"  
"Hn? Oh. No, not really. I was wondering…" He picked up the white book and smoothed the cover, "Would you… translate this for me?" Collifla tilted her head, then nodded. She took the white book from him, and flew up to sit on the bed. Vegeta flew up and sat next to her, listening with an expression she couldn't read. She cleared her throat and began translating.  
"Every thousand years, a Super Saiyen is born, a being so powerful it surpasses that of any being ever known….."  
  
An hour or two later, Vegeta had nearly fallen asleep, but forced his eyes to remain open, and his ears alert. As Collifla neared the end of the book, neither could keep their eyes open any longer.  
"Saiyen, brutal and heartless,  
Cold and powerful.  
However, as Saiyen changes under the moon,  
So shall they change under….. *yawn*….. love."  
Vegeta was asleep. Collifla blinked at the words. There was still an entire page of poetry left, but it was beginning to blur. She contemplated the last word: love. She turned it over in her mind until, had her mind been reality, one might have thought it was a tornado.   
_Love. What a strange word. I don't even think I know what it really means…. Then again, from what I do understand about it, no Saiyen really would. Hn…._  
The last words she thought in her mind washed over her and enveloped her like a blanket. _I really should go into my own rooms. But… I don't think I could move…if I tried. Couldn't move if I…. _She thought no more.  
  
**_"I can't think of anything to say or explain since I'm assuming the number of smart people outweigh the number of morons." "Not when you're living on Earth within a hundred mile radius of the Son or Kame House." "Vegeta, what are you doing here?" "I've come to look back on my childhood, woman. Problem?" "Don't threaten me!" "I'm the Prince of all Saiyens! I do what I please!" "And I'm the author and I can do some really, REALLY not nice things to you, 'Veggie-chan'." "Like what?" "Like open the barred gates and let all your love-crazed fans through…" "Okay! Fine!" "Heh."_**  



	7. Chapter Seven- Moonlight

Chapter 7- Moonlight  
  
Vegeta awoke the next morning and jumped when he saw Collifla next to him. He looked at her and contemplated. He did not feel attraction to her, that much was clear, but he felt something else.  
"This isn't what Saiyens are supposed to be like… Kuso, girl, why'd you have to come and fuck things up?" He smiled, "Well, I suppose it could be worse. Much worse." He got up and dressed, praying silently that his friend wouldn't wake up until he was finished. Instead of wearing armor, he put on his cloth gi. He turned and saw that Collifla had not stirred. He breathed a sigh of relief and put on his boots and gloves.  
Once more, he turned and stared at her. He walked up to her and brushed a stray hair out of her face, then shook her roughly.  
"Mph! Kutabare!" He shook her again, causing, much to his amusement, more profanity to spill from her mouth, "GODDAMNED KUSO! Hiretsukan chikushoume sonofabitch! Baka! What the fuck'd you do that for????"  
"Pardon me! No need for trash talk! Just wanted to tell you that everyone is stuck inside tonight. The moon is coming out."  
"Oh! I forgot about that!"  
"Yeah. Every time the moon comes out, I have to spend the entire day with my father. It's some goddamned royal tradition. So you're going to have to find something else to do today."  
"Aw man, and Okassan was sent to a planet as an ambassador for a few days. She can't even tutor me! Geez. I'm gonna be bored!"  
"Well it's not my fault. I'd rather stay here and train or something, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm sorry, Lili," he said, using her nickname.  
"That's probably the last time I'll ever hear those words out of your mouth again," she smirked. The prince scowled.  
"Accident." His scowl lessened, "Alright, I have to go. Have fun then." He stalked out the door. Collifla crossed her arms.  
"Kuso. I'm bored already. Shadow-sparring is no fun, Tomet would kill me without Vegeta if I trained with him. Besides, he's out and about with all his girlfriends. He doesn't like to train us unless it's a 'scheduled time'. And I don't feel like singing right now," she said aloud. She sighed and walked out the door, through the palace gardens. She looked up into the day lit sky. Soon, night would fall and all would be quiet, save for the Suddenly, there was a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see no one there, but turned the other way into Kelis's smirking face.  
"Hello," he said.  
"I don't really feel like being beaten up today, so if you don't mind…"  
"Who says I'm here to beat you up? The Saiyen moon makes Saiyens very, cut to the chase among other things, so I'm just going to lay it on you. Now that your little veggie friend is gone, I'd like to take this as an opportunity to… get to know you better."  
"What the hell are you talking about? Get away."  
"Oh, Collifla, do you really thing you have any say in this?" Collifla understood in a flash. She narrowed her eyes and glared.  
"Get the fuck away from me," she said, trying to mask the fear in her voice. This is what her mother and brother had warned her about. She never thought it would happen but it seemed that there was nothing standing in its way. Kelis stepped towards her.  
"The moon does strange things to a Saiyen…" He said in a faraway voice. He ran his hand down her cheek. Collifla's breath came out in short gasps and got caught in her chest as he took her hair in his fingers and looked at her with that terrifying gaze for a second time.  
"Let go and get the fuck away," she whispered once more in a jerky voice. He merely smirked.  
"What are you going to do, Saiyeness? Fight me? There's a 6 year difference so I think I'll have a slight advantage, don't you? Don't disillusion yourself."  
"Disillusion myself nothing!" She cried. She leapt out of his grasp and hung in the air. Then she dove like a hawk with blood lust in her eyes. Just before she reached him, her feet took the lead as she slammed them both into his face. Kelis, who was too shocked to even react, flew a good 20 yards across the garden before he skidded into the ground and was smashed into a wall. Collifla walked up to him and checked his pulse. He was alive.  
"Pity," she hissed acidly, "Hn. That will soon be remedied." She held her hand up as ki crackled in her small palm.  
"Don't. The moon makes simple minded boys do stupid things." It was Oiono.  
"Bad little boys should be punished," sneered Collifla down at Kelis's lifeless body. Oiono snorted.  
"True, but I think he's been punished enough. It's bad enough you've slashed his pride to pieces." Collifla glared at Kelis one more time, then nodded.  
"Don't worry. I had your back the entire time. I just thought that there was a freak chance you could handle it, so I hung back." Collifla rolled her eyes.  
"Alright, as much as I hate to admit it, Kelis was right. The moon day makes Saiyens very cut to the chase so I just want to let you know that… I'll always have your back. I mean it."  
"Um… Thanks? Where did this uncharacteristically good nature come from?" The Saiyeness asked, very confused.  
"Well, I like you, kid. You deserve looking out for. You're going to do something great. I can feel it, and so does your brother. Don't tell him I said that tho, I don't wanna die." Collifla snorted.  
"True. Well… thanks."  
"Hn. No problem, kid." He walked around the palace wall, pausing to give her a glance. _She's cute in a tiny sorta way… Nah. _ He continued on his way. Collifla scratched her head. She had been trying for years to asphyxiate her girlish crush on the Saiyen warrior for years to no avail, and now… it just disappeared without her even trying. _I hate irony._ She thought to herself. She plopped down where she was and meditated for a few hours. Lighting had started forming around her when her thoughts were interrupted by voices. Filled with power and adrenalin, she got up. Ready to send whoever interrupted her concentration to hell and back. What she found was a group of Saiyens in a clearing where the fountain stood. She also heard yipes of a small animal.  
"Heh. Go on, run! Oops!" A boy long spiked hair said sarcastically.  
"What the hell are you doing here? Is it some sort of moron-code that you harass beings smaller then you when you're not on a planet clearing it off?" Collifla growled at the much larger boys. They stood and stared at her. Between them was a small furry animal. A sanrac, a small rodent with a narrow face contrasting with its enormous eyes. Its front, furry feet were tied together and it's squirrel-like tail quivered with fear. Collifla always had a soft spot for those damned things, but that was only the second reason she wanted these boys out. The main reason was that they were third class.  
The boy who had been taunting the creature had a widow's peek and long spiked hair that went down past his waist. The second was a lanky warrior with a mohawk of brown hair falling into his eyes. The third was short with a bowl cut and actually quite chubby. He had muscle, yes, but it still didn't hide the fact that he was a big guy. The one with the widow's peak spoke first with a mocking tone that made her stomach churn.  
"Oh, pardon _me _wagakimi! I had NO idea this was YOUR garden!"  
"Don't fuck with me. You have no idea who you're dealing with."  
"Nor, obviously, do you. Raditz, first class Saiyen. You?"  
"Collifla, Vegeta-ouji's sparring partner. First class of the highest degree. You must not like social gatherings, mandatory and not, since I haven't seen you around the court or anywhere else for that matter," she smirked, calling his bluff. She laughed out loud as the badass look was wiped clean off his face. Before he could say another word, she yanked the dog tag from his wrist and read it.  
"Raditz. Hn, nothing but third class. I shall enjoy watching you die today." The two boys next to Raditz looked at him and ran in opposite directions. Collifla shot after one and hit him in the ass. He grabbed his behind and ran screaming. The other dove behind the bushes.  
"Yowamushi. Cowardice has no place in a Saiyen or on this planet. You, however," she said, turning back toward the long haired boy, "did not join your fellow swine. You keep your life. However, if I ever see any of you bakas breathing the same AIR as those who are allowed in here, you will die. Now go." Raditz bowed resentfully and walked toward the gates. Collifla fired a ki blast, singing his hair, just for good measure. It quickened his pace significantly, as did the sound of ki blasts being emitted at the bushes. His two friends ran past him with smoking rears. Raditz ran after them, the sound of Collifla's laughter ringing in his ears long after he reached his dwellings.  
Collifla pulled the rope off the sanrac and blushed when it nuzzled her finger.  
"Go on," she growled. The rodent took the hint and scampered into the bushes. Collifla sighed. The sun was already setting.  
_Hn. I must have meditated for longer than I thought…Then again, I did sleep in until noon today._ She smiled and made her way towards her room. She shadow sparred until her attention span lapsed, then began dancing around the room singing. She stopped short when she saw the prince in the doorway, but started up again. She dragged him along with her, despite his protests. Her meditation had temporarily increased her strength. In other words, if she wanted him to dance with her, there was nothing he could do about it. They finally collapsed on the floor, in a position similar to when they first introduced themselves.  
"I don't think it's such a bad thing we have to stay inside tonight. I doubt I could move, even if I really wanted to…" Gasped Vegeta.  
"How was the visit with your tousan?" Asked Collifla.  
"Boring."  
"Figured."  
"So what'd you do today?"  
"Oh, nothing really..."  
"Oh c'mon, you've had to do something."  
"Well…"  
  
**_"Kelis was such a…" "Hey! I think we've had enough profanity for this chapter. If you wanna find out what happens to him, read Ashee's 'Saiyens of Exile' story." "I'm not reading that stupid story. OW!" Vegeta has been smacked a good one upside the head. "Be nice Vegeta. I do have the key to the gates." Vegeta picks up female screaming with his acute Saiyen ears. He cringes. "I hate you." "Oh, no you don't. You know you love me…" "Grrrr…"_**  



	8. Chapter Eight- Princess Prezzle

Chapter 8- Princess Prezzle  
  
"Lili, weave the stitching on my cape."  
"Aw man, do I have to?"  
"I'm the prince. You've known me for, what? 3 years? And you're supposed to be the smart one. Answer your own damn question."  
"Chikushoume," Collifla muttered, throwing the cape over Vegeta's head. She snorted when she saw that his hair did not go down with merely the cape's weight.  
"Don't talk about my mother like that!" Vegeta laughed, pulling his cape down. Collifla interweaved the thick silver string into the holes of his cape, creating a bizarre design. She blinked at it.  
"New cape?"  
"Nah. It's just not often that ambassadors come HERE. This is my "'meeting foreign royalty' cape," he smirked. Collifla snorted.  
"So what do I get to wear?" Vegeta went into the closet. He pulled out a black velvet kimono with the same silver string down the breast. Collifla tilted her head in delight at the new outfit.  
"Oooo! I wanna wear that more often! I'm not one for dresses but that one's cool!" She slipped off her clothes. She wasn't uncomfortable with Vegeta seeing her anymore. She had undergarments, plus he was like a brother. Closer than a brother. He would be the last person to care. She pulled the dress out of Vegeta's hands and pulled it over her head. It was stuck. She had forgotten to unlace it and it wouldn't fit over her head. She wiggled with all her might, but it wouldn't budge and she couldn't get out.  
"Vejeha. Hep meph," she said in a muffled voice, two tufts of hair sticking out of the collar of the immobile dress.  
"Pardon? What was that now?" Vegeta asked sarcastically.  
"Vejeha. I goha kehoo. Hep meph!" Vegeta smiled. He unlaced the chest of the dress and pulled it over her head. Her hair exploded through the collar and clung to her face with static. She hurled herself into the bathroom and stared at herself in the turquoise tinted glass. She ran her hands under the faucet and brought them lightly across her hair, causing the static to die down, then pulled it back, twisting one side slightly for a more "elegant edge". She reached into the cabinet and saw what was in there. Every female room had the same thing. Feminine items for moon blood she had not yet received, spray that made tangles easier to get out (boy, she went through that like there was no tomorrow), and items that were called keshou… she saw women put this on their face and ended up looking more beautiful than they already did. Her mother did this, although she used very little. She might use the flesh colored stuff to cover a black eye and she would often put the red stuff on her lips.  
Collifla grabbed some rose colored keshou. It said "enji"… so was it supposed to stick to your lips? She put her finger on it and brushed it over her soft mouth. She pushed a button and made the glass glow pure for a brief moment. Normal glass was hard to come by so the Saiyens would use a turquoise tinted stone that glowed clear for a few seconds when the right amount of electricity was pumped into it. She blinked at her reflection. She thought it looked nice on her. She might make a priority of wearing it more often. She smiled and walked out.  
"What do you have on your lips?"  
"Enji…" She said quietly.  
"That's what females wear…" He said slowly, trying to process it.  
"Am I not a female?" She replied hotly.  
"No! I mean yes, of course! I mean…" Collifla's eyes flashed.  
"So what am I?!" She inquired irritably.  
"You're… Collifla."  
"Collifla the Saiyeness. The FEMALE Saiyeness, who does not put up with shit, much less possessive princes."  
"I'm not possessive! I'm just…"  
"Oh please! I know for a FACT that Saiyen males are possessive little sons of bitches. You're probably even worse, Vegeta-ouji!"  
"Well of course! I…"  
"Don't even THINK of saying you feel something for me, Vegeta. You are a Saiyen and you will act like one!"  
"Is it wrong to care for a sibling? Apparently your brother cares for you and he is not condemned for it! Why can't I feel the same?" He demanded. Collifla's face softened. She walked over to him and hesitated. She then gave him a very timid, short, and awkward… hug.  
"Well that was different," said Vegeta. Collifla smacked him upside the head.  
"If your father saw that he'd have me shot." They laughed.  
"Do you really…" Collifla began as they made for the door, Vegeta interrupted.  
"Yes, okay?" That was the last they spoke of it.  
  
Collifla fidgeted in her kimono. She had been standing for hours while the king made speeches about how great the planet was. _When will this nightmare end???_ She thought desperately. It was apparent, by Vegeta's constant squirms, that the prince felt the same way. Finally, there was applause. Collifla clapped in gratitude. Not that the speech was good, it wasn't. Saiyens don't speak well. She was just glad it was over.  
"Vegeta, come forward." The prince stepped toward his father and kneeled.  
"Hai, wagakimi?" He said.  
"The Emperor of planet Jinxfoed has brought his daughter, Prezzle. As a… host" (It seemed a strain on the King's brain to even _consider _the thought of a Saiyen being a "host"…) "As a host," he continued, "I look to you to make her feel… comfortable." King Vegeta inwardly winced, as did the prince, although the king did a much better job of concealing it than his son.  
A small, plump girl stepped forward. She wore a pink satin kimono, with tiny black shoes. She had squinty eyes, a round nose, and large, bright red lips. Thin antennae poked through the top of her hair. Her skin was a pale blue and her eyes were a dazzling green, accenting her emerald tiara, which was placed neatly on her mass of bizarre golden curls. Her face was etched with sweetness, and her ruby lips were pulled back into a smile, revealing pearly white teeth. Collifla shuddered. The princess dropped into a perfect curtsy.  
"My prince, I am honored. I am sure I will enjoy my stay."  
"Wanna bet?" Collifla muttered through clenched teeth, her lashing tail creating an accidental clink against one of the chairs. The princesses eyes flicked to Collifla. Collifla quickly adjusted her grimace to a smile. The plump princess bought it. The tiny Saiyeness smirked. The King dismissed the rest of the court and offered to show the Emperor the training grounds. On his way out, he muttered something to Vegeta-ouji. Apparently, the Jinxfoite princess heard him because her polite smile faltered into a smirk. When the doors closed, it faded to a real one.  
"I'm bored already," she said.  
"And your point being?" Vegeta muttered. The princess gave him a look that actually… shut him up? What was going on?  
She grabbed Vegeta's arm and batted her eyelashes. The Saiyen no ouji winced visibly as his desperate eyes swept the room for Collifla. As if on cue, the Saiyeness sauntered up to the two of them.  
"Princess," Collifla nodded. Prezzle shot her a look, then back to Vegeta.  
"Veggie, who is this?" Collifla bristled when the princess used HER nickname for Vegeta. Prezzle paid her no mind, much to both of their annoyances. She didn't seem to realize that they could both individually snap her in two with their pinkies. Or did she? She seemed to know something… And so did Vegeta for that matter. _Dammit! I hate being out of the loop! _ She thought.  
"Oh, never mind," she said carelessly, "Care to show me the royal gardens?"  
"Hai," he said resentfully. It took a lot to keep Collifla from snapping right then and there. This little prissy had to go. She stalked out behind them. When they reached the gardens, Collifla walked between them before Prezzle could grab the princes arm again. The princess shot Collifla a look.  
"Who is this disrespectful female?!" She demanded to Vegeta, as if Collifla weren't even there. Now it was Vegeta's turn to bristle.  
"Chikyoudai," he said. Collifla's eyes widened. Did Vegeta just refer to her as she thought he did? Foster sister…?  
"Pardon?" Asked Prezzle.  
"Nothing. Her name is Collifla."  
"Your… betrothed?" She asked distastefully. The two Saiyens snorted, much to her annoyance.  
"No, she is my sparring partner and friend."  
"Friend?" Prezzle sniffed, "I didn't know Saiyens had _friends_." Vegeta gritted his teeth and planted them firmly on the ground. Collifla expected the prince to pounce right then and there, but the princess just smiled sweetly and he… relaxed his position, scowling all the way. Collifla was very confused. The prince shot her a helpless look and growled at the princess.  
"Your father said you are to show me a good time and not screw up. We wouldn't want you dead by your own father. Then Vegeta-sei wouldn't have an heir, and what a mess that would be. Especially to waste such a handsome one…" She said in a sickeningly sugarcoated tone. She made a move as if to grab the prince's arm again, but Collifla stepped between them with a muted wheel. The princess glared out of the corner of her eye as they walked in silence for a moment. The Saiyalings got a chance to cool down and almost forget how much they hated Princess Prezzle.  
"I don't have to take this," said Prezzle, shattering the peace and re-igniting the all to familiar flames of loathing. Collifla shot out her arm and in a flash, Prezzle was shot into a bush. Vegeta stopped, stunned, and Collifla kept walking. Prezzle stuck her round face out of the bush, blushing madly with leaves entangled in her hair.  
"You…. you…. how _could _you?!?!?!"  
"King Vegeta said nothing about how I have to treat you. I know from my studies that your kind just loves loopholes and I know for a fact that so do Saiyens when it comes to finding an excuse to beat someone who deserves it."  
"WHAT???"  
"That's right, Princess. You can't do shit to me. See you tonight, Veggie. Good luck with the Royal Pain in the Ass," she said cooly. Vegeta stifled a snicker.  
"You… you bitch!" Cried Prezzle.   
"Oh. That hurt," said Collifla stiffly and kept on walking.  
"Y-you!" She stammered. Collifla flipped her off over her shoulder and kept walking. Vegeta nearly passed out on the ground from holding his breath so as to prevent himself bursting into hysterics.  
  
**_"Methinks perhaps I'm going to do a few short stories with Prezzle when this ficcie is done. Until then, I'm getting rid of her cuz I'm not feeling that creative. Or maybe bring her back in later sagas. Now THERE'S an idea…"  
_**


	9. Chapter Nine- The Nekker Song

Chapter 9- The Nekker Song  
  
"I'm… WHAT???"  
"Promoted," said Vegeta. He sounded half ecstatic, half dejected. Dusk was settling over the horizon of Vegeta-sei, and all the nekkers had come out of the water to sing their nightly song and dance. They were muted against the thick glass of the room where the little Saiyalings changed for bed.  
"How is that possible?" Collifla gasped, unclasping her hair bead and stripping out of her armor. Vegeta threw his own in a corner.  
"Well, you've proven yourself. You've got a lot of fighting power. Saiyan royalty have it naturally with the Queen's Necklace supplying that extra boost, but it is very rare that even a first class Saiyan even comes close, much less equals, that of the royal family. Even my father thinks so." Vegeta pulled off his unitard.  
"So… What happens now?" Collifla asked. There had to be a reason this news distressed him. Vegeta saw her silent question and reluctantly answered when he pulled his nightshirt over his head.  
"You're to become the Royal Guard of the highest degree. No Saiyan can go higher than that without becoming royalty. Not even elites. You're going to become a sort of… King's Champion. I'm just not King yet." As her nightgown dropped over her head, Collifla still wondered what was troubling him. She was going to say so, but before she could open her mouth, he finished his thought.  
"To become the King's Champion, you must go to a planet, no matter what the conditions, and train for five years. If you come back, you are the King's Champion. If you don't, well… you're not. You're dead." _ Ah. I see the problem… _Collifla thought, running the metal brush through her hair.  
"Well… Don't you think I can do it?" She asked hesitantly. Vegeta sighed.  
"I do, Lili, it's just…" Collifla smiled when she realized what exactly was going on in her prince's brain. She put a hand on his shoulder.  
"I know," she said softly. She wasn't going to make him say it. It didn't matter anyway, she already knew.  
"How am I supposed to be here without you, Lili?" He demanded almost angrily. Collifla sighed and shrugged. She thought he was being a bit selfish. She was the one who would be away on Kami-knows-what planet. However, Collifla was too tired with too much going on in her mind to say so. She walked over to the prince's bed, levitated about a foot, and plopped down onto the squishy mattress enveloped beneath the satin thick quilt. Vegeta followed suit. They both sat for a time, heads in their hands, until Vegeta began to shake. Collifla peered into his face and saw no tears, just an expressionless face attached to a small quaking body. She pulled his head onto her lap and stroked his wild upsweep.  
"Don't you ever brush this, Veggie?" She asked maternally. Vegeta blinked, then began to laugh. He rolled over onto his back and stared straight up at Collifla in absolute hysterics. When the little Saiyaness looked down on his face, it was the funniest damned thing she had ever seen. It was all twisty and scrunched. Vegeta always looked so weird when he gave a genuine laugh… She broke into hysterics, echoing the Saiyan prince's laughter in one messed up harmony. She fell back onto the bed, and they laughed until they couldn't move.  
"Haven't done that for awhile!" Collifla said, sitting back up. Vegeta lifted his head from her small lap and fell the other way onto the bed.  
"We better start packing," he said softly.  
  
Collifla walked through the gardens with the prince, taking everything in. It was so beautiful on Vegeta-sei. She couldn't possibly imagine life without it. Not paying attention to where she was going, she bumped into something hard, and still significantly taller than her. She looked and found herself, once again, staring straight into her brother's Saiyan armor, with the exception of the fact that her gaze now reached slightly above the amber inlay.  
"I really hate it when you do that," she muttered. She tilted her face upwards and stared into her brother's face. This time, however, there was no familiar grin. His face was passive and unreadable.  
"So," he said huskily, "You're leaving, huh?" Collifla blinked.  
"Yeah, so?" She asked, furrowing her brow.   
"Meet me at the fountain tonight at midnight," he glanced at Vegeta, "Leave the prince behind. No offence, highness. It's of some… family matters." Without another word, he walked swiftly away.  
"Well… um…" said Collifla, raising her eyebrows. Vegeta rolled his eyes.  
"Just go. Don't worry, I have to meet with my father tonight anyway."  
  
That evening, Collifla walked down the familiar path in her simple cloth training uniform. Her bother sat on the lip of the stone fountain, also in only his training wardrobe. It was very rare she saw him out of his armor, and she was amazed how he still looked so powerful without it. He looked up when she approached and stood silently. Without a word, he gestured for her to follow him and walked down a rarely taken path.  
It came out into a small forest, which he swiftly entered. Collifla looked into the hazy darkness and hesitated.  
"What's the matter, scared of the dark?" Tomet called and charged his ki. It created a soft glow on the rocky path leading into the depths of the woods. Collifla scowled and charged her ki as well. She marched into the forest with such determination, her brother laughed out loud as he walked beside her. He led her to a clearing where the Nekker pool shone like glass in the center. The ground around it was slightly rutted from their traditional dance every evening and their strange smell lingered in the air. Collifla's sharp nose had never smelled anything like it. It was like… fish, rain, native flowers and… was that roses? But roses don't grow on Vegeta-sei… the only time she had ever smelled one was when a warrior had brought them back from his investigation of Chikyuu. Earth, as only she and Vegeta called it, was dismissed as invaluable and thankfully left alone. It was the roses, however, that sparked Collifla's interest in the planet when she was only four years old. _But where is that smell coming from now?_ She thought. Her thoughts were interrupted when Tomet tapped her shoulder. He gestured for her to join him on a rock.  
"This is where the Queen goes to meditate before the wedding," Tomet whispered when his sister sat down beside him.  
"The wedding only takes place the day after a full moon. This spot is sacred and protected from the lunar influence. It's the only time a Saiyan can ever look upon the moon and remember it without transforming." Collifla didn't know why he was telling her this. Was he trying to act smart? Or play a trick on her? Or was he just being… nice? Tomet looked at her with that same unreadable expression in his eyes.  
"I… I just wanted to say…" Tomet began, "Well, if your going to be gone… I'm sure a lot is going to happen…" He rubbed the back of his neck and pulled an envelope out of his side pouch.  
"This is from Okaassan. She asked for me to give it to you. She's off on an ambassador tour, you know, and she can't see you off or anything…" He trailed off and handed her the letter. Collifla looked at her name written in her mother's curvy handwriting. Her eyes flickered toward the pool's now rippling surface. The head of a nekker pierced the surface. His fish like face gasped at the air, revealing his piranha-like teeth, as his gills closed off and his lungs began working. He crawled out of the pool, his medieval clothing clinging to his scaly body. He sat in the damp grass and stared at them, grasping his harp tightly.  
"What do we do?" Collifla asked softly.  
"We could kill it," Tomet replied in an equally low tone.  
"NO!" She whispered savagely.  
"Well, if we don't kill it, it'll attack us! It's very rare they come out in front of people when it's not close to a full moon. When they do, they always call to their brothers and attack. Not even a Saiyan can stop them when there are so many. It calls three times, getting angrier with each one. There's nothing we can do unless we kill it now, which is what I'm going to do!" Tomet said. Before Collifla could stop him, he stood and charged his ki. The nekker straightened and struck a note on its harp. It hit one note with its eerie voice and held. It lingered in the air before fading with the wind.  
"We're too late!" Tomet said, sitting slowly and actually looking quite terrified. The nekker looked at them expectantly, then tried again. The same note.  
"This is all my fault. I want you to run, Collifla. Just run. I'm going to try and kill as many as I can," he whispered.  
"Wait! Look at him! It looks like he wants us to imitate him…" she said thoughtfully. Tomet furrowed his dark eyebrows and stared at her.  
"Imitate him?! I don't know how the hell to do whatever he's doing! Let's just try and shoot it and run!" Tomet cried. The nekker hit the last note with a look of insult on his face. Collifla didn't really want to share her secret with anyone except Vegeta, but this was a desperate time! She made up her mind in an instant and matched his pitch perfectly. The nekker blinked at her, surprised. She looked and almost laughed out loud when she saw her brother doing the exact same thing. The nekker hit two more notes. Collifla imitated. The fish creature smiled (as much as something of the sort could smile) and began to play on his harp. Collifla sang a random arrangement of notes, while the nekker kept up. After nearly five minutes of singing, the creature stopped, bowed, and dove back into the pool. Collifla cleared her throat. Tomet stared.  
"How did…? What…?" He stammered.  
"It's called singing. It's a earth--I mean, Chikyuu thing." She mentally scolded herself for slipping on the title for the planet. Tomet nodded.  
"I see. Well… It certainly is… very nice," he muttered. _NICE? Did he just say nice??? And is that a blush?_ She thought to herself, utterly amazed.  
"I am going to miss your company, Collifla. Here." He handed her a flower. A blood red flower with velvety soft petals enveloping each other in layers. The Saiyaness put it to her nose and breathed in the rich scent of the rose.  
"How did-?" She began. Tomet donned his familiar grin.  
"It pays to have a foreign ambassador for a mother, sis. Call it a going away present," he said, smiling still. Collifla stared at her brother for a moment. Without stopping to think or put a stem on her emotions, she flung herself onto him and wrapped her small arms around his neck. He did not move for a moment. Then, slowly but surely, he put only his hands on her tiny waist. They sat in silence. Just like that, until Collifla pulled away.  
"We won't ever mention that again."  
"Of course we won't. I wouldn't be able to stand the embarrassment!" He said, grinning impishly. Collifla smacked him on the side of the head.  
"Chikushome!" She cried.  
"Why you little…baka onna!" He began, but she flew off into the forest. She came out the way they had entered, and sped back up the path to the fountain. She sat on the lip, gasping for breath and thinking she had lost him. She placed the flower and the pack with the letter beside her and took in a deep breath.  
"SURPRISE!" Tomet cried from behind her. Collifla jumped a foot in the air before her brother picked her up by the ankle and held her upside down in front of his smiling face.  
"I really will miss you, Collifla."  
"Likewise." Her brother hesitated.  
"No matter what?" He asked. Collifla thought for a moment, a little confused, then dismissed any misgivings.  
"Sure. You?"  
"Yup," his grin suddenly turned evil, "now on that note…" He then dumped her into the fountain. Her mass of hair broke the surface first, followed by a scowling face. Tomet howled with laughter as his sister's thick black hair dripped so much, it might as well have been a waterfall.  
"Remember, you promised no matter what," he said in between laughs, "I have to go. I'm leaving for a new planet in about an hour. I meant what I said. Goodbye, little sister," he said, and flew off.  
Collifla stood in the middle of the fountain, a curtain of water flowing from her hair in front of her face. She grabbed her hair bead from the still thankfully dry pouch and snapped it around her hair. That was not exactly a good plan. Unfortunately, the weight of her hair was too much, and sent her toppling back into the water. This went on for about a full minute. She would stand, then fall backwards. Stand, and fall backwards. Until a familiar hand grabbed hers and pulled her out.  
"Call me a baka onna will you?" She muttered.  
"You woke me up with all that racket!" Cried Vegeta. He put her on the ground and wrung out her hair. It created a puddle as big as her bed at their feet. Vegeta snorted and broke into laughter.  
"I hate you," she muttered, and stalked back to the palace, Vegeta close behind with her things in tow. Tomorrow was the day. Let her hate him tonight. She'll change her mind when he pulls out their favorite book. At least he hoped so. She was the only one who could read the damn thing. _Baka onna. I like the sound of that…_ He thought, then trotted to keep up.  
  
**_"AW!!!! You were so cute at that age. And so nice! What the hell happened???" _"Freiza. Any questions, onna?" _"Nope. I'm the one telling the story, remember?" _ "Right." _"Firstly, I'm adding flowers to my list of 'motifs'" Vegeta rolls his eyes, but Q ignores it and continues, "Secondly, I think the next chapter's gonna be a song fic…" _"Oh, Kami…" _"What's wrong with that???" _"Your mocking me… People shouldn't know I can sing." _"First of all, you won't be doing the singing. Second: I think it's cute!"_ "I bet you do! Same with all those freaky fans out there!" _"There are gates!" _"Yeah, as long as I'm nice to you, and how long can I possibly keep this up?" _"As long as you want to, Veggie. In fact, the fans would probably love it if you DIDN'T keep it up. The sooner you crack, the sooner they get in…" _"Have I told you I hated you today?" "_Many times. I still interpret it as 'I love you'." _"Rrrrrr…" _"You're funny when you're mad."_**


	10. Chapter Ten- Departure

Chapter 10- Departure  
  
Collifla looked around her room. All her uniforms had been packed and all her personal things had been stowed. She pushed a button on her new scouter.  
"11:00 already?" She asked herself softly. Her ship was scheduled to leave in an hour. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She had never been apart from Vegeta for very long. And now…? Five years.  
  
**Time, sometimes the time just slips away  
And your left with yesterday   
Left with the memories**  
  
She walked through the open door and stared into her room one last time as the door shut behind her. She sighed when the familiar click of the lock she had barely noticed since she had lived in the palace with the prince. Her prince. Her Vegeta. Her foster brother. She hoped their children would marry someday. It would keep the royal bloodline pure and perfect. In their opinions, of course. She thought, smirking.  
  
**I, I'll always think of you and smile   
And be happy for the time   
I had you with me **  
  
She dragged her bag down the corridor to the docking bay. As she rounded the corner, a hand reached out to grab her shoulder. She turned to look into the face of her brother's best friend. His square face was tight with repression and he ran a hand over his short brown hair.  
"Hey, kid," he said roughly.  
"Hey Oiono," she replied. He fidgeted for a moment, then clapped her on the shoulder. He grinned down at her.  
"Good luck, squirt," he said finally. She smirked back at him.  
"Like I need it," she said, more or less convincing herself. Ono saw it in a second and smirked right back. They parted and walked down either hallway. She reached the loading dock and punched in the access code.  
  
**Though we go our separate ways   
I won't forget so don't forget   
The memories we made**  
  
The door hissed open to the huge glass dome. Vegeta stood waiting for her. His hands were behind his back, and he looked pensively up into the day-lit sky. Collifla approached him and stood next to him in front of her pod, being busily prepared and loaded by grunts and slaves. They were only 10. It was strange how much higher a maturity level they possessed than other races. The prince looked at her.   
  
**Please remember, please remember   
I was there for you   
And you were there for me   
**  
"I don't think I shall ever marry," He said suddenly.  
"Why not?" Asked Collifla curiously.  
"All the females here are idiots. None suit me. Except you that is," He said, looking at her. Collifla gave him a friendly hit.  
"I'm flattered highness," She said. He looked at her seriously. He took her hand and opened it. He put a pair of gold earrings in her hand.  
"For you. It means we'll always be friends (if there is such a thing). Whether you die or not," He said.  
  
**Please remember, our time together   
The time was yours and mine   
While we were wild and free   
Please remember, please remember me**  
  
Then he gave her a large velvet box, "This is for when you get back. I'd like you to hold on to it so some female doesn't trick me into giving it to them while you're gone." Collifla opened the box. Inside was a necklace that had a chain of black pearls with a black diamond pendant.  
"The Queen's Necklace," She whispered, "I can't take this. We could never be like that…." Vegeta smirked.   
  
**Goodbye, there's just no sadder word to say   
And it's sad to walk away   
With just the memories**  
  
"I'm not planning on it," he snorted, then turned thoughtful with an almost (but not quite) mischievous expression on his face, "Maybe I'll just knock up some Saiyan female to have my child and you can run the planet with me. You're the only female here smart enough to be Queen, and tolerable enough for me to live with for the rest of my life. It's the perfect plan." Any earthling girl would have slapped Vegeta and run off crying, but not Collifla. She thought it was the perfect plan too. If she wanted to, she could get knocked up by any guy she wanted. She was only 10, and already the object of some young warriors' affections (even though she beat the crap out of all of them). She never had to get pregnant (Saiyanesses were only fertile every eight years with the full moon) and she could be queen. It WAS perfect.   
  
**Who's to know what might have been?   
  
**"I think you'll find someone to marry, Veggie."  
"No I won't, baka onna!" He said smugly, his arms crossed.  
"Would you stop calling me that?!" Collifla growled.  
"What about onna?"  
"NO! What is it with you and that phrase?!"  
"I like it and I'm not going to marry."  
"You'll find someone who'll be able to push you around as well as I can, but she'll be prettier and more feminine and you'll just fall head over heels!" Collifla cried, growing uncharacteristically starry-eyed. Vegeta stared for a moment. Collifla glanced at his shock impression and straightened abruptly.  
"Well you will," she said simply.**  
  
We'll leave behind a life and time   
I'll never know again**  
  
"You Collifla? Time to go," Said a Saiyan grunt. With a bow to the prince, he gestured towards the pod. Vegeta and Collifla clasped wrists.  
"Never give up, alright? You'll make it and we'll see each other again. If I find out that you've given up, I'll find you and beat those ridiculous thoughts out of your head. If I find out you've died, I'll kill myself, find you, and beat the crap out of you for letting it happen. We will see each other again."  
  
** Please remember, please remember   
I was there for you   
And you were there for me  
And remember, please remember me**  
  
"I know."  
"You always know, Lili."  
"Well, I'm always right aren't I?"  
"Not always."  
"You're fighting a losing battle Veggie."  
"Shut up and get in the pod. I'll see you in five years when the challenge is over."  
"Hai, wagakimi." They pulled each other into a hug, not caring whether anyone saw. She walked through the airlock and climbed into the pod. She gave one last wave to her friend. The door shut slowly until… The lights flickered on in her pod and she had to press her nose against the glass to see the purple-tinted figure of the prince.  
  
**Please remember, please remember   
I was there for you   
And you were there for me **  
  
Smoke curled around the spherical ship. The grips were removed and the hovering mechanisms worked automatically. Collifla barely noticed any of the activity going on around her. She was focused on the silhouette of her best friend. Standing motionless behind the glass in front of her ship. The ship pulled away from the docking bay and drifted lazily upward to the gaping mouth of the port. As Vegeta slowly walked up the spiral staircase with the ship while it floated slowly, memories swirled through each of their minds.  
  
**Please remember, our time together   
The time was yours and mine   
While we were wild and free   
Please remember, please remember me**  
  
How can I possibly get through this? I'll be assigned to a planet without her… Thought Vegeta. He'd be receiving an assignment soon enough. He would take it and smirk, announcing to everyone how he would conquer it in barely a day, and whisk off to destroy. How boring… He'd turn into a jerk without her. Nobody would be there to make him laugh or anything. Everything they did was a game. Their hot tempers would flare, and they'd always end up laughing. She was to funny when she was mad, especially when her hair was wet…  
  
**And how we laughed and how we smiled **  
  
How am I supposed to get through this? I'll be all alone without him… Though Collifla. She was worried about him. How would he change without her there to keep him in line? He'd better not cop an attitude… Collifla laughed when she listened to the thoughts that raced through her mind. She was a Saiyan. Why should she care? It's his life to do with as he pleases. If he wants to let his ego to take over, it'll be his own weakness. Why should you care? I'll tell you why, Collifla. Because you let yourself. Letting yourself care is a weakness in your world! But answer me this, Collifla; would you have it any other way?  
"No," whispered Collifla to the voice in her mind.  
  
**And how this heart was yours and mine**  
  
He would become a Super Saiyan. That's how he would repay her. He knew that nothing would please her more than to see him become a legend. Just as nothing would please him more to see her become just as powerful. Nothing was impossible when she was around. Everything was merely a hurdle, and if you couldn't jump over it, you'd blow it to pieces and walk over it.  
  
**And how a dream was out of reach **  
  
Collifla wondered how she would have managed her years on Vegeta-sei without the prince at her side. She would have gotten along, to be sure, but… There would have been a lot more pain than she cared to face. Physical pain she could deal with, but not the kind she would have had to face without him. There was a bond. It wasn't love, it would never be love. It was something above it. Something they convinced themselves was allowed in their culture.  
  
**I stood by you, you stood by me **  
  
What kind of person would he have been without her to keep his ego in check? She was always there to smack him upside the head when he got too full of himself and got him out of trouble every single time. It was so strange the way he changed when he was around her. His ego was non-existent and he was flexible to ideas other than his own. Occasionally it took a bit of force to get him that flexible, but it worked. Very few people could rough him up and get away with it. She showed him how to see life. He never saw flowers as a colorful annoyance before she had dragged him into Hanafusa Fields and forced him to look at the thousands of beautiful varieties.  
  
**We took each day and made it shine **  
  
*Remember Veggie, whenever we think of each other on another planet, we look at the Saiyan Nebula. You remember, the Saiyan people's first conquest?* *Of course I know, baka onna! I'm the one who told you about it!* *Would you stop calling me baka onna?!* *No, I told you I like that phrase. I like onna too. I'm going to use it only on the females I like, in this case, you.* *The ones you like? What about the ones you don't like?* *Something much nastier* *Figures.* *You're leaving in a few seconds and all we're doing is arguing telepathically. Is there something wrong with this picture?!?!* *Nah. This is how I want to remember you.* Collifla stated in her mind with a smile. Vegeta laughed softly.  
  
**We wrote our names across the sky **  
  
Collifla remembered Vegeta's extreme ki blasts and uppercut. Vegeta remembered her dazzling technique and roundhouse. It baffled him how any being could lift their leg so high… Life was beautiful when they were around each other. It had no direct purpose, but it had meaning.  
  
**We ride so fast, we ride so free **  
  
No matter what happens, Collifla thought, We'll still have each other. Even if we never see each other again. She clutched the earrings in her fist. Vegeta reached the top of the steps and fingered the pouch he secretly stashed all the dried flowers she had given him that he'd pretended to throw away.  
  
**And I had you and you had me**  
  
I won't miss his arrogance…I won't miss her bossiness…Or his ignorance…Or her being such a know-it-all…He's a royal pain in the ass…She's just a manipulative bitch …He's my prince…She's my sparring partner…My Veggie…My Lili…My best friend…My best friend…  
  
**Please remember**  
  
Collifla stared through the glass at Vegeta. The capsule flew through the exit and prepared the engines. Collifla waved down. Vegeta waved back from below, staring straight into her eyes through the purple tinted window. The space pod had gotten through the door. It slowly closed behind the ship. Vegeta waved furiously at her. She waved right back until… The large metal door below her had shut and her prince had disappeared from view.  
  
** Please remember…**  
  
**_"Vegeta?" _"Leave me alone, onna!" _"Are you… crying?"_ "NO! Get the hell away from me!" _"You ARE!!! OH!!! Veggie-chan!!!"_ "NO! Fuck you! Get away!" _"Yeah, I suppose it was incredibly sappy."_ "Damn right it was!" _"The next saga is definitely much more dramatic and less happy." _"I know that. Those years were the worst of my fucking life!"  
**


	11. Scenes from the next saga!!!

**SCENES FROM THE NEXT SAGA!!!!  
**  
Collifla- Saga Two: Winds of Change  
  
……"What?!"  
"I'm sorry, Lili. There was nothing I could do. I saved your mother, but of course I couldn't stop them from punishing him!"  
"I never thought he'd do it… He was always a rebel but I never thought…"  
"Kelis is dead. He killed him."  
"Well, at least I can have one good memory of him… Do you think he'll make it?" There was a pause on the other end of the scouter's intercom. It seemed Vegeta had been wondering the same thing.  
"Deserai is a very rough planet to survive on, but I… I don't think it's uninhabitable," he finally said, trying to convince himself.  
~*~  
"Some madman called Bardock interrupted my father to go on about a vision he had in regards to our entire race's destruction."  
"Really. Isn't he some third class commander?"  
"Exactly," said the prince with a harsh laugh, "Well anyway, they've started assigning me to planets. Apparently my training under my father is over with."  
"You'll still be able to communicate, right?"  
"Yeah. As long as the scouter's intact, I can receive your transmissions just about anywhere within this half of the universe," he said, reveling in his people's technology.  
~*~  
….."Well, little prince, let me explain my policy. Do as I say and your father lives. You are no longer a prince here. You are mine. Do you understand?" Vegeta hung his head low. The shadow of the changeling loomed over him.  
"Yes," he said shortly.  
"Yes what?" The cold voice asked, those dark lips twisted into a mocking smile. Vegeta said nothing, his eyes boring a hole in the floor. The next second he was on the cold tile with a ringing in his ears. His scouter had been knocked off from the blow and was in pieces next to him.  
"YES WHAT?!" Cried the changeling, raising his hand again.  
"Yes… Lord Freiza."  
~*~  
….."Vegeta! Come in!" Nothing. Just static. One of the lizards must have chewed through the wire of her ship's communication satellite. That was it... It was almost time to go home anyway, just another month. She could live without conversing until then. Stupid lizards…  
~*~  
"My Prince? You know me as Nappa, former Elite General of the Saiyan army. Freiza assigned me to be your new personal trainer."  
"Trainer my ass…" Vegeta muttered, "My father trained me after Tomet left and no one can replace either of them…" Nappa growled and hit Vegeta in the stomach.  
"First rule, Vegeta-ouji. Always be on guard. Tomet murdered my son. That little wad of shit deserved what he got and it is not your place, even as the prince, to defend him. The second you screw up, you'll be killed. If you want to survive you will listen to me, your highness," the large man said simply with a bow. Vegeta lifted his chin to acknowledge him then turned his back, arms crossed.  
"The second you screw up, you'll be killed. I'll make sure of that in your case, 'General'…" He muttered darkly.  
~*~  
Nothingness. Chunks of planet, armor, an occasional body hear and there, all floating in the icy coldness of space. Collifla touched her cheek and tasted the liquid the clung there. Salt water. She had not shed that liquid since she was a small child. She brushed it away but it kept coming. It streamed down her face and clung to her chin for a moment before a single drop spattered on the floor….  
~*~  
_Please don't let her be dead. Please…_ He thought. The door hissed open. The figure of the all too familiar changeling was silhouetted in the door way.  
"Hello, little prince…" he said softly. Vegeta shivered…  
~*~  
….She knew all too well who had done this. She knew he would pay dearly for what he took from her.  
  
**_"Tell them Vegeta."_ "No way! I'm not some public service announcement! I'd prefer not having to look back on that part of my life anyway!" _"Vege-chan...." _"I said no! Now leave me in peace!" _Q shakes the keys in front of his face. Vegeta scowls._ "Fine. Everybody keep your eyes open for the next saga. THERE! Will you let me go now?" _"Of course not! I never said that!" _"Well... I can dream can't I?" _"I think our Saiyan no ouji is slowly losing his mind. I'll just feed him and see if he recovers. Watch for my next saga though! It's gonna be a doozy!"_**  



End file.
